


Family

by RenZai



Series: Saeyoung Week 2018 [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Can he just be happy please, F/M, How Do I Tag, Mentions of canon previous domestic violence, Spoilers for 707's Route, i guess, if that's a spoiler anymore, its pretty brief but take care of yourself if thats not a thing thats good for you, spoilers for 707's real name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 19:06:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15225903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenZai/pseuds/RenZai
Summary: Seven reflects on what "Family" has meant throughout his life.Written for Saeyoungweek on Tumblr, day 1 prompt: "family"





	Family

Throughout his life, Saeyoung had given a great deal of thought to the concept of family. He had struggled hard to find an acceptable definition, but his limited experience left him always on the outside looking in. Family was something for other people, something he couldn’t quite understand the way he was meant to. It left him feeling broken, bruised, fundamentally wrong.

In Saeyoung’s childhood, family was Fear. It was the sting of his mother’s hand, her grating voice screaming obscenities. It was “your father can never find you, ungrateful brats.” It was Saeran’s whimpers and his own helplessness as he watched his poor, weak brother being beaten further and further into himself. It was an awful, sickening thing, and he swore to leave it behind as soon as he could. He took the first opportunity that he was given, choosing a new name and trying not to look back.

During Luciel’s time in the Agency, he watched as those around him described family as a Liability. They were people to drag you down, targets for your enemies, a weakness. He didn’t quite understand this, so he settled on a different definition - family was Regret. Family wasn’t something he really had anymore, the idea of family just brought to mind Saeran’s tearstained face and his own broken promise. He was glad he’d managed to leave his mother and that forsaken home, but his heart ached every time he remembered the brother he had left alone.

Seven joined the RFA, and family became a more complicated concept still. Family was Almost - something he almost had, almost felt, almost believed. It was pranking Yoosung, mocking Zen, sympathizing with Jaehee, teasing Jumin. It wasn’t a blood relationship, so it wasn’t what a family was really meant to be, but for the first time he had a group of people that seemed to care about him. If the Agency knew, they would surely describe the RFA as a liability just as much as any family, so he kept his mouth shut so he wouldn’t lose this one brief happiness he allowed himself. 

And then you joined - sweet, wonderful, incredible you, and he didn’t know who he was or how to act or what he wanted. Family became something he Craved, in unconscious dreams that made him feel disgusting and worthless, because you could do so much better than this freak who would never understand it. But you kept breaking down his walls, and making him care, and slowly but surely Seven became Luciel who finally became Saeyoung once again. But his brother appeared, an Unknown hacker in the messenger who Saeyoung recognized as his own mirror image. He no longer had time to wonder about the meaning of family, as your life and Saeran’s and his own were in so much danger that he couldn’t pause for a moment. You stubbornly stayed by his side, and he fell in love slowly and then all at once, and that was all he knew and all he needed as the two of you went to save the brother he’d abandoned so long ago. 

Now, Saeyoung finally thinks he understands why people say that family is Happiness. He had never really experienced either, but as he stands in the sunlight looking around the backyard of yours and his new house, he gets it. Saeran is finally standing by his side, quiet but content as he continues to recover from all the horrors he went through. Zen and Yoosung’s laughter rings out as they run around the yard, dragging a reluctant Vanderwood into a childish game of tag. Jumin is casually dressed for once in his life, lounging on the deck and talking to a relaxed Jaehee about something unrelated to the company for once. 

Saeyoung’s eyes trail over the yard, taking all this in until he catches sight of his favorite scene of all, and a smile breaks across his face. Your laughing eyes lock with his and you grin, before turning away as your attention is called downwards. The ring on your finger catches the light as you stroke your hand through the curly red hair of the small child you’re talking with, who looks just like the cross between you and your husband that they are. Saeyoung laughs aloud, so happy he can hardly stand it, and he gives a concerned-looking Saeran a grin before launching himself across the yard to gather his spouse and his child in his arms.

Family was a sickening word for most of his life, a flaw in his code preventing him from understanding it how others did. Now it’s his favorite thing in the world, and he feels pieces falling into place a little more every time you grin or your child laughs or Saeran offers him a hesitant smile and forgiveness. He feels complete, and happy, and it should feel foreign but instead it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> So that's my first fic for this fandom! I hope you liked it, let me know what you thought.
> 
> Also, my works for this week all have different tones/tenses/POVs so I'm posting them as a series rather than as a single multichaptered work... if that's the wrong way to go about this, please (politely) let me know! I'm pretty new to actually putting my writing out in the world so I still have to learn the ropes.


End file.
